


Unwanted devotion

by MightySnowflake



Category: Naruto
Genre: Adventure, Exploration, M/M, Skeletons, tombs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21811363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MightySnowflake/pseuds/MightySnowflake
Summary: Upon finding an ancient tomb, Tobirama’s excitement is quickly taken over by dread when he discovers something unexpected.
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara
Comments: 21
Kudos: 168





	Unwanted devotion

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to this while writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQyg8MBQQog&t=1412s

Tobirama climbed up the desolate mountain, the pathway only an imaginary one as the last human to set their foot there had probably lived some thousand years ago. Carefully assessing where he stepped and rested his hand, as the stones got more slippery and moving the higher the path took him through the ancient mossy forest growing out of the mountain side, the hiker noticed, some distance away from him, what he had come looking for. The entrance to the tomb.

Upon reaching the sighted place, Tobirama rested a bit and drank some water for the journey had been gruelling. The young man took out his GPS and saved the coordinates of his present location. His colleagues will be beyond elevated when he’ll send them the numbers along the message that his search had been a successful one, Tobirama mused. Especially Izuna, who was so determined to find out about his distant ancestors who had once called this now uninhabited land their home. No one knew why so many people had suddenly decided to move and find a new place to live but that’s why Izuna, Tobirama and all their other research-partners back in the institute were doing their job: to find answers to this particular and many other possible questions.

The mouth of the cave was a bit higher than Tobirama, so he didn’t have to crouch when stepping into the darkness with a proper headlamp fastened to his forehead and a flashlight in his hand. The air inside was cold and humid, the roots of some plants having found their way inside as well, crawling along the otherwise empty stone corridor or hanging from the ceiling in places where they had managed to anchor themselves. Like the curious little stone figures decorating the section where the ceiling and wall met.

The explorer stepped closer to one of such figures to investigate it carefully. The tiny woman had her hands raised in the air, her gaze unmoving in the direction Tobirama was headed. As were all the other figures, his little investigation verified. All the stone faces looked up ahead, their hands raised in a show of an offering perhaps. Tobirama could only speculate on that, as he wasn’t sure whose tomb he had found but judging by the careful handiwork on the walls, it must have been someone important. 

The inside of the seeming cave was rather a little maze. The young explorer made sure to mark his way to not get lost while trying to get out later. The easiest method for that proved to be the thin but durable cord Tobirama had in his backpack, that he let trace his way behind him. The explorer just hoped that he wouldn’t need the cord once he finally reached the tomb. 

After peeking into many tiny rooms, Tobirama stumbled upon the first and only door that was blocked. Or somewhat blocked. In front of the door there was a stand reaching to the young man’s stomach, decorated with an episode of something happening. Tobirama squatted down to examine the stone closer. The carved figures on the stand had their hands raised again, but not in front of them. All the faces were looking up and their hands were raised above their heads. Slowly Tobirama rose, following the decorations with his eyes and stopped on the little figure on the stand.

It was a man and the carver had done his job very carefully as the facial features were almost realistic, carrying on the serious expression this man, the figure was based on, probably sported in the past. Or it could indicate the respect the carver had for the sitting man. Tobirama took some photos of the carved figures on the sides of the stand and the one sitting on top of it. He then proceeded to capture the figures between the ceiling and the wall as well, only to discover that these men and women made of stone differed from the other ones as well. Their gazes were directed below them, as were their offering hands. It seemed like all these figures in the maze were looking at the man sitting on top of the stand. How curious. That must have been it then. He had to be in front of the main chamber where the owner of this tomb rested and this tiny sitting figure was the new embodiment whom his people could leave their messages and offerings as the worldly body was dead. 

Subsequently, Tobirama leaned down to lift the sitting tiny man. In his eagerness he even managed to slice open his middle finger a bit with the sharp edge of the stone. Tobirama ignored the oversight in favour of brushing away the droplets of blood from the figure as best as he could and continued with his examination. Even though the tiny man was made of stone, it didn’t weigh as much as the explorer had expected. It must have been some kind of a lighter material that was chosen for carving. Tobirama took this figure with him as it could give a lot of answers about this place when he returned to his institute to let the material be analysed while starting to assemble the needed team and technology to return to the tomb and begin with the real investigation.

With excited but careful steps, Tobirama moved around the stand and entered the waiting room. His flashlights illuminated the surroundings. Next to the walls were placed what seemed to be the remnants of furniture and some other unidentifiable objects as time and humid air had done their job. However, there was one thing that time hadn’t had the chance to bite. In the middle of the room, there lay an elevated stone sarcophagus and that’s where Tobirama headed.

After placing some lights to the cold floor in favour of the headlamp that was turned off, he discovered that the sarcophagus was big in size which was unexpected as the people back then were much shorter than the people today. Tobirama mused that this casket could even fit him inside it even though he was a rather tall man. Leaning down to inspect the ornaments below, the explorer witnessed a familiar scene that he had seen before: on the upper part a man was standing with spread out hands and every other ornament below was someone raising their hands towards the man depicted bigger than them. The only big difference was that between the mightier man’s legs stood a smaller figure. It seemed as if he or she was under the serious man’s protection. Interesting. This dead person must have had quite some power to be depicted worshipped and able to protect someone.

Now Tobirama just hoped that the dead man would still be inside the sarcophagus. He had doubted that from the moment he entered the cave as it was easily accessible when one knew to look for it. However, the lid was still in its place, which it wouldn’t be if someone had come to raid the tomb, so there was an expectant light in Tobirama’s eyes when he proceeded to push the cover. To his surprise, the lid seemed to be made of the same lighter stone as the figure from before he had now placed on the floor. With some effort, the lid was pushed until it was diagonally and when Tobirama laid his eyes inside, he grinned.

A skeleton stared at him, some accessories and a beautifully decorated dagger placed beside its head. Tobirama was beaming. He couldn’t wait to boast about his discovery, moreover an untouched one! The explorer took out his camera and leaned on the casket to capture this brilliant moment. However, the camera was dropped when something grabbed a hold of the hand that was leaning down. Tobirama shouted with wide panicking eyes when he saw that it was the dead man’s arm that had a hold of him and tried desperately to pull away but the grip grew only stronger and stronger. With utmost terror Tobirama could see the skeleton hand starting to gain flesh and the skin that proceeded to slowly cover the rest of the arm. Still trying to hysterically free himself, Tobirama felt himself to lose focus in his sight and a moment later the young man dropped unconsciously to the ground.

When he woke up again, the lights were still on and the explorer needed a moment to remember why he was lying down on the rock hard ground. The terror from before took over him again and he scrambled on the floor before gaining control of his feet and running for the exit. Only there was none. Where there had been an inviting open door before, there now stood a big stone blocking the way. Desperately, Tobirama tried to move it but it wouldn’t budge. He didn’t give up though, pushing even harder, feeling his wounded finger bleed for real now. He stopped in his effort only then when he heard a low calm voice speak somewhere behind him. “Did  _ you _ offer me blood?”

Tobirama froze. He was positive he had been alone while entering the cave and exploring beyond that. He then remembered the bony hand that had grabbed a hold of him and whimpered. Slowly, Tobirama turned his shaking body to look behind him. On the open sarcophagus sat leisurely a man, holding the stone figure that Tobirama had taken with him, upside down in his hands and inspecting precisely the sharp edge with the explorer’s smudged stains of blood on it. Then the man raised a questioning brow and looked Tobirama right in the eyes.

The latter whimpered again, sinking to the ground then the dark-haired man suddenly hopped down from the stone casket and walked towards the rapidly breathing man. The saunter stopped right before the sitting figure and the man squatted down, deep black eyes meeting horror-filled red. Tobirama proceeded to hold his breath only to yelp loudly when his hand was grabbed again and raised before the other man’s eyes. The latter examined the blood coated fingers and then put them to his lips, coating them red as well, while holding eye contact with the quivering man. Tobirama pulled his hand away the moment he felt the grip relax and held it to his chest, staring at the darkly dressed figure before him in shock. The absence of pain in his finger that had been there just a moment ago, was barely noticed.

“You have gifted me your blood so now I’ll give you mine in return.” Tobirama saw the man pull out the beautiful golden dagger he had seen in the casket before and slice one of his fingers that started to ooze droplets of blood. Subsequently, this hand reached out for Tobirama’s face and the latter hunched his shoulders even more and closed his eyes firmly. He felt a wet finger draw a line to his right cheek, then to his left one, then on his chin and finally the blood was smeared on Tobirama’s lips as well, after which the finger retreated.

Only then the young man dared to open his eyes and thus saw the dark-maned figure lean in and kiss him. The blood on their lips fused and suddenly Tobirama was hit with a wave of warmth that surged through him. The wet lines that had been drawn on his face flared for such a short second that he wasn’t even sure if the heat had been unbearably hot or not. His cheeks prickled nonetheless. The light kiss ended just like that as the black-eyed man pulled away, however his composed face stayed hovering so close to Tobirama, that he could probably hear the frantically beating heart in front of him.

“You will now be under my protection.” With that, everything sank into darkness again and in the next moment Tobirama found himself outside, in front of the cave, eyes narrowed by the sudden overwhelming light and blood thundering in his ears. He looked around but the other man was nowhere to be seen. However, Tobirama’s backpack was neatly placed beside him. The explorer opened it with still shaking hands and found inside his lamps, flashlight and camera along the cord he had left in the maze to find the exit later. There was also an additional object put inside. Tobirama took it out and stared. The detailed stone figure he had picked up before, had the exact same face as the man he had met inside. Without a word, Tobirama stuffed the figure inside his bag again and resolutely made his way down the mountain, leaving the place as quickly as possible on his jelly-feeling legs. What had he unleashed upon this world?

**Author's Note:**

> I will probably write a sequel to it in the future when I finally get some free time!
> 
> Also, you can find the little drawing on my Tumblr: https://mightysnowflakestuff.tumblr.com/post/611379922232066048/you-will-now-be-under-my-protection-an


End file.
